Sunday, May 31, 2015

Artisans Out and About

Leah Grommon

Dianne Collinson

BOTANICAL - Impressions in Clay, Glass, and Photography

BOTANICAL- Impressions in Clay, Glass, and Photography is a collaborative exhibition created by regional artists, Dianne Collinson, Kit Crawford, and Dennie Eagleson. The exhibition opens with an evening reception at the Yellow Springs Arts Council Gallery on June 19, 2015 during the Yellow Springs Art Stroll and will run through July 12th.

Each of the artists approached the theme of Botanical working in their individual medium in an exhibit that invites viewers to discover corresponding qualities of line, color and light found in the natural world and in their work. For example, Collinson’s black and white porcelain pieces will be reflected in Eagleson’s photograms, and Crawford’s luminous stained glass will share qualities with the large botanical images created with outdated polaroid film.

Yellow Springs Artist Dianne Collinson has always been a maker working in multiple different media. In recent years that has led her to an intensive exploration of clay. Her signature technique uses natural plant material to create intaglio impressions in the highly contrasted black and white porcelains she creates for functional use. Because her botanical pieces are hand built, they have an organic, wabi sabi quality. Inspired by the colors and expressive images in the work of Crawford and Eagleson, she has also added colorful, painted botanical designs to this collection of new ceramic work.

As former Studio Director at John Bryan Community Pottery, Collinson initiated the creation of their gallery space and was instrumental in the wood kiln addition. She has has taught hand building classes and workshops and has exhibited her work at regional juried art shows and art fairs, at DVAC and other area galleries. She is currently a member of Village Artisans Gallery.

Kit Crawford - Cedarville

Kit Crawford became enchanted with light and color as a young art student at the American Center of Students and Artists in Paris. From the rooftop terrace, she could step out of her oil painting class and draw inspiration from the play of light through the new leaves of trees. Flora was at the heart of her early paintings and drawings. After she learned the art of making stained glass windows, these elements of light and botanical life came together. Always an illustrator, she began to draw with glass, creating her own original patterns for one of a kind pieces, and working from her treehouse studio at her home.

Kit developed the Art and Science program at the Antioch School in Yellow Springs beginning in 1983. She later became the Younger Group teacher. As an Artist in Residence she has led workshops in stained glass creating. She has exhibited her glass work in area galleries and art fairs and has completed large commissions for homes in Ann Arbor, Midland, Southfield, and Beaver Island, Michigan, and Sebring, Florida.